Best Newcomers on NFL Teams in 2021 so far

 With the NFL season over a quarter of the way through, we figured it would be good to give a kind of update on some players making huge impacts on their new teams. Today, we get into the best players that are in year 1 on a new team. Guys that are the reasons their teams are breaking out maybe for example or just having the best season of their careers. Whether it was through FA or trade, we outline some of the best players in new colors.

Emmanuel Sanders, Wide Receiver, Buffalo Bills

Statline: 24 receptions, 413 yards, 4 TDs receiving

After a lackluster season with New Orleans in 2020, many thought that the veteran Sanders may be well past his prime. He hit free agency with not much momentum or teams willing to come offering big money to the 34-year-old. The Bills did. It has paid off so big for them so far. Sanders is enjoying an amazing start to the season as he and star QB Josh Allen have had instant chemistry and have been hooking up time and time again in this early season. Sanders is on pace for over 1000 receiving yards for the first time since 2016. Who would have thought that he still had this level of production in him at 34? The Bills sure did as Sanders continues to play a vital role on one of the league's top offenses.

Cordarrelle Patterson, Running Back/Wide Receiver, Atlanta Falcons

Statline: 173 yards, 1 TD rushing, 25 receptions, 295 yards, 4 TDs receiving

This is probably the last player that people expected to breakout in 2021. The 30-year-old journeyman veteran who has been a jack of all trades kind of player his entire career has suddenly become an elite do-it-all player inside the Atlanta Falcons offense. Patterson signed as an afterthought late in free agency but has been anything but an afterthought in the early going of this season. He has accounted for over 450 yards on offense and 5 TDs and has been the reason the Falcons are hovering around .500 when they have one of the worst defenses in the league. He's on a 1 year deal worth just about $3 million dollars, man is he setting himself up beautifully to get a monster deal after the season. A contender would absolutely kill to have a guy like Patterson who can do everything on offense. He is such a stud and is having one of the most
surprising breakout seasons on a new team in the league.

Matthew Stafford, Quarterback, Los Angeles Rams

Statline: 1838 yards, 16 TDs, 4 INTs passing

No surprise here, but Matthew Stafford is killing it in his first year in LA. The Rams QB is putting up numbers that warrant MVP consideration as he has this team on fire at 5-1 and looking like they could be real Super Bowl contenders. Stafford has long been an amazing QB, but not many have noticed since he's been stuck in Detroit. He is finally getting his chance to win on an amazing football team built around him and it is working. This one was pretty obvious, but Stafford is an ELITE newcomer in 2021 to the Rams. 

Haason Reddick, Edge Rusher, Carolina Panthers

Statline: 29 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 8 TFLs

The Panthers took a bit of a risk by paying good money to former Cardinals 1st-rounder Haason Reddick after a career year, and it's safe to say that the deal is paying off big-time for the Panthers. They got an elite pass rusher to put alongside star young DE Brian Burns. The Panthers defense has been one of the most improved units in football this season and a large part of that is due to Reddick's success so far. 6.5 sacks is the big number out of his statline which is good for 3rd-most in the entire league. Reddick is on pace for over 15 sacks this year which would be insane. It remains to be seen if he can continue on this tear, but as of now, he's been one of the league's best rushers and he happens to also be playing his first season on a brand new team. Amazing deal so far for Carolina who will now have to pay him even more if they want to
keep him beyond this season.

Matt Judon, Edge Rusher, New England Patriots

Statline: 26 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, 8 TFLs

With very similar stats, Matthew Judon has been just as good of a big-time DE signing for New England as Reddick has been for Carolina. He also has the huge 6.5 sacks but it almost feels like he has more. Everytime I turn the Pats on, he is in the pocket wrecking havoc on opposing passers. He just finds ways to get around any OL he is facing. The amount of pressure he applies is astounding. The Patriots too, have one of the best defenses in football, and a lot of that is predicated off the pressure that can be applied to the offense. Judon is singlehandedly making the Patriots defense a level better. Signing a 29-year-old to a multi-year, big money deal can be sketchy, but Judon is showing why it's worth it.

Denzel Perryman, Linebacker, Las Vegas Raiders

Statline: 73 total tackles, 1 TFL, 2 fumble recoveries

Who would have thought that Denzel Perryman would be the NFL's leader in tackles going into week 7 of the season? Not anyone. Acquired in a deal for late-round picks right before the beginning of the season, no one thought much of the move at all. Perryman was considered a below average player and someone who probably wouldn't even start in Vegas. Wrong. He has been a starter for Vegas' much improved D from day 1 and he is KILLING it. In just 6 games, he already has tied his career high in tackles from any season, his rookie year in which he also had 73, but in 14 games. The tackle production from him has been just unreal. He is developing suddenly into one of the game's best tacklers and with the pace he is on has a shot to actually break the SINGLE SEASON tackle record. Who would have thought it would be Denzel Perryman to do any of this?? What a season so far for the new Raider.

Casey Hayward Jr., Cornerback, Las Vegas Raiders

Statline: 16 total tackles, 4 pass deflections, 0 TDs allowed, 82.7 PFF Grade

The second new Raider in a row. Just like Perryman above him, Hayward was also a last minute add for the Raiders. After the Chargers cut him he was not signed for months before the Raiders decided to call him up. What a gamechanging move it has been for them. Despite being up there in age at 32, Hayward is playing some of the best football of his entire, lengthy pro bowl career. He is leading the league with amount of snaps played at CB without allowing a TD through the first 6 weeks with 237. He has been the definition of a lockdown CB. He also has tackled well as you can see with his 16 tackles and is getting targeted but still shutting down as he has the 4 pass breakups as well. Playing on a league minimum deal, this has turned out to be the potential bargain of the season. The new Raider is playing elite at one of the hardest positions in the game.